Red Express Coaches
* Cows |last_appearance =Main Line Engines |creator(s) = * Rev. W. Awdry, Britt Allcroft, & David Mitton (writers) * C. Reginald Dalby & Tenmille (designers) |gender=Females |country_of_origin =* Island of Sodor * United Kingdom |basis = * British Railways Mark 1 coaches * Southern Railway Maunsell coaches |type = Passenger coaches |wheels = 8 |designer(s) = * British Railways * Southern Railway |builder(s) = * British Railways * Southern Railway |year_built = * 1951–1963 * 1925–1936 |railway = * North Western Railway * British Railways * Southern Railway |owner(s) = * Sir Topham Hatt * British Railways }} The Red Express Coaches are generally used for other fast trains, but occasionally used for The Express. Biography ''The Railway Series These coaches are commonly pulled by Gordon. They were first used as part of the Royal Train during Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Sodor. They were later used for The Wild Nor' Wester for a period of time. One of these coaches is pulled by Thomas. After arriving at Tidmouth at 3:30pm with the express, engines have to shunt a coach from the train into the bay platform for passengers wanting to travel to destinations on Thomas' Branch Line. Thomas & Friends These coaches are commonly pulled by Edward, Henry and James. In the third season, Duck commonly pulled them on the Little Western. Gordon pulled them in the fourth season when he met Sir Handel and in the fifth season when he went to go test the new station. They vanished after the twelfth season but returned in the twentieth season. In The Railway Series these coaches were part of the "Wild Nor' Wester". Some red express coaches belong to British Railways and are pulled by Flying Scotsman. Personality In the Railway Series, were sentient despite never being illustrated with visible faces. Like many coaches on Sodor, they do not appreciate being bumped by an engine, and if they are not handled properly, they can get back at their engine. In the television series, they are non-sentient. Technical Details Basis In the Railway Series, they were based on British Railways Mark 1 coaches with corridors. File:BRMk1Coaches.png|BR MK1 composite coaches File:BRMk1Coach.jpg|BR MK1 brake coaches In the television series, the models of the coaches were based on the Southern Railway Maunsell coaches without corridors. In the model era, they had broad windows on one side and narrow windows on the other. For production of the third season, shorter variants of these coaches were introduced and gradually replaced the original longer coaches. Since the CGI Series, the coach designs had been altered to be much taller and thinner compared to the previous ones. File:TheExpressCoachesBasis.jpg|Real SR Maunsell coaches 'Types of designs in the Railway Series:' File:BRMK1CoachRWS.png|Composite coaches (''with corridors) File:BRMK1BrakecoachRWS.png|Brake coaches (with corridors) Types of designs in the Model era: File:RedExpressCoach1.png|Composite coaches (longer variants; narrow windows 1 side only) File:RedExpressCoach2.png|Composite coaches (longer variants; broad windows 1 side only) File:RedExpressBrakeCoach1.png|Brake coaches (longer variants; narrow windows 1 side only) File:RedExpressBrakeCoach2.png|Brake coaches (longer variants; broad windows 1 side only) File:RedExpressCoach3.png|Composite coaches (shorter variants; narrow windows 1 side only) File:RedExpressCoach4.png|(shorter variants; broad windows 1 side only) File:RedExpressBrakeCoach3.png|Brake coaches (shorter variants; narrow windows 1 side only) File:RedExpressBrakeCoach4.png|Brake coaches (shorter variants; broad windows 1 side only) Types of designs in the CGI era: File:RedExpressCoach5.png|Composite coaches (shorter variants; broad windows both sides) File:RedExpressBrakeCoach5.png|Brake coaches (shorter variants; broad windows both sides) Livery In the Railway Series, these coaches are commonly painted have been painted burgundy red with cream coloured window surrounds. File:MainRedExpressCoachesRWS.png|Red express coaches in the Railway Series Between the second and fourth seasons of the television series, the coaches were painted dark red with white window surrounds. From the fifth season onwards, the window surrounds were repainted cream with a yellow stripe running down the sides. File:MainRedExpressCoachesModel1.png|Dark red coaches with white window surrounds File:MainRedExpressCoachesModel2.png|Dark red coaches with cream window surrounds and yellow stripes File:MainRedExpressCoachesModel3.png|Dark red coaches with cream window surrounds The Royal Train The Royal Train was painted blood and custard with light grey rooftops, whitewall wheels and white buffers. File:TheRoyalTrain.png|The Royal Train in the Railway Series File:RoyalTrainModel.png|The Royal Train in the Television Series Appearances Railway Series= |-|Television Series= |-|Other Media= Merchandise * Ertl Company (discontinued) * Wooden Railway (discontinued) * Motor Road and Rail (Asia only) * Thomas Engine Collection Series (with sound effects; discontinued) * Departing Now (discontinued) * Tomica * Capsule Plarail * Pocket Fantasy (discontinued) * Tomix * De Agostini (discontinued) * Bachmann (discontinued) * Hornby * Nakayoshi (discontinued) * Boss (with James; discontinued) * Choro-Q (with James; discontinued) * LEGO (discontinued) References See Also * Express Coaches * Green Express Coaches * Gordon's Special Coaches * The Wild Nor' Wester * Thomas' Special Coach Category:Coaches Category:Rolling stock Category:North Western Railway Category:The Mainland Category:The Railway Series characters Category:Standard gauge Category:Female characters